Minnesota | Pop. 42,389 | 5 counties

In 2019, the Commission cited childcare access as a growing challenge and as an economic driver. To better understand solutions and approaches within their region, they conducted six case studies and curated local, regional, state, and national resources. Each case study included an analysis of enrollment, fees, staffing structure, staff wages, and financing, which was supplemented by interviews to understand the background, challenges, and successes.

A state-wide organization in Colorado has convened business leaders and corporate executives to address childcare barriers with information about tax credits to Colorado families and employees, state advocacy on childcare needs, and efforts to invest in and launch childcare businesses across the state.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Redlining as: The refusal to provide mortgages in neighborhoods that were deemed to be a poor financial risk by using race-based underwriting criteria. Often a practice used by banks and loan officers during city development or redevelopment periods as a discrimination tool. The practice was common in the first half of the 20th century but was outlawed with the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Inclusionary Zoning as: Usually practiced in urban areas, inclusionary zoning is the practice of planning communities and developments that will provide housing to all income brackets. Inclusionary zoning ordinances often require any new housing construction to include a set percentage of affordable housing units, often set by a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI).

NGIN's Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development defines Affordable Housing as: A mixture of quality housing options in which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities. Affordable housing can also refer to housing funding through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) or other federally funded programs. See also Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH).

Oregon | Pop. 654,831 | 4 counties

To address childcare gaps, the council leads the Foster Grandparents Program to link senior volunteers with youth needing additional mentoring and support. Volunteers serve as reading partners, homework tutors, and mentors. With funding from Americorps and the Early Learning Hub at Linn-Benton Community College, the program helps to advance equity by providing youth with the resources and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.

Part of a larger series, this set of strategies from PolicyLink looks at how to advance racial equity in housing by implementing COVID-19 recovery strategies.

From the Grounded Solutions Network, this manual provides guidance on launching and operating a Community Land Trust, including draft documentation.

From Silkworm Studio, this film examines the history of redlining and the continued impact on neighborhoods and housing policy today.

From the Bipartisan Policy Center, this interactive map and assessment tool quantifies the supply of, potential need for, and gaps in childcare in 35 states as of 2019.

An interactive map visualizes local childcare supply and poverty rates across the United States. Created by the Center for American Progress, it is paired with fact sheets and issue briefs.

In this report, Urban Institute researchers look at lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and the Great Recession to identify housing policy priorities that contribute to racial equity.

Montana | Pop. 111,913 | 5 counties

In collaboration with the City of Shelby in Montana, Sweetgrass Development, sought to address increasing housing costs and renovate an abandoned school. Staff provided expertise in brownfield restoration and access to EPA funding and supported the city in completing the property assessments and moving forward with a plan to clean up and renovate the building. The long-term goal after the cleanup ends is to convert the space into multi-family housing designed to meet the needs of Shelby residents.

Minnesota | Pop. 116,862 | 4 counties

The commission crafted an economic opportunity program that focused specifically on expanding access to affordable childcare with a focus on rural communities in their region. In collaboration with First Children’s Finance, staff provides childcare businesses with marketing, consultation, and other services. Additionally, the partnership has begun planning strategies to open more childcare locations in rural communities.

Minnesota | Pop. 86,764 | 5 counties

In their 2022 CEDS, the commission includes “affordable and quality housing” as the region’s most significant priority. This aligns with existing strategies, including the “Home Stretch” Homebuyer Education curricula, housing rehabilitation partnerships, and supportive housing facilities. These efforts are aligned with the commission’s Racial Equity Accountability Project (REAP). This project looks at housing outcomes and homelessness response through the lens of structural and systematic barriers and seeks to identify solutions to reduce racial disparities in housing.

Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a CDFI located in Maine, launched a Childcare Business Lab following a state-wide listening tour. The lab sought to bring together small business start-up education with guidance on delivering high-quality childcare programming, including support through the licensing process. CEI looks at how this cohort-based model can be scaled across the state, in other languages for key immigrant audiences, and potentially for other regions.

Iowa | Pop. 198,817 | 5 counties

The association sought to address the lack of affordable starter homes in their region through a collaborative project that formed a pocket neighborhood, the Bear River Cottages, in Maquoketa, Iowa. While leveraging local partnerships and grant funding, each of the ten 1,000-square-foot homes in this cluster-style development centered around a common landscaped area was sold to eligible households (buyers making 80% or less of the Area Median Income) for $150,000.